BC Spa Day

[teganandjessmom23]

I am a professional groomer and own my own business. Here lately I have had a lot of bc. I had 1 on Mon 1 on Wed and 1 on Fri and this week I have 2 on weds. All but 1 have been so wonderful for me. They just got a bath tidied up and feet trimmed. the 2 Weds are getting shaved. Yes I know and I tell my clients they should not be but I shave mine as well. Here in central Ohio bc get shave 2 to 3 times a here vets actually recommend it. Does any one else take theirs to a groomer or just comb them out them selves? I like them with the full coat they are so pretty but fro me we have no air condition in the house and Jess is always in the creek or rolling in something dead so I like her short but come winter I love her long soft coat. I actually do a lot of bc mixes they are every where here and I enjoy being with them. My 2 go to work with me and people say they have always wanted one. I hear that a lot.

[Maralynn]

I read the title and the first thing that popped into my mind was that my dogs idea of a spa day would be rolling in something stinky followed by a dip in the river (or swamp, or mud puddle...) :lol:

 

My dogs get baths with the hose 2-3 times a year. I brush them a couple times a months in the winter and 3-4 times a week in the summer. I I don't shave my long coated dogs as the coat actually helps insulate them a bit from the heat and prevents sunburn, but I will shave their belly if it's quite warm to help them cool off faster in the summer.

 

AC is rare for my dogs too (usually just at night when we have a string of hot days and it doesn't cool off at night) , but they seem to acclimate pretty well to the heat in the summer. They have shaded kennels with block flooring that they lay on to keep cool during the day. Last week was the hottest week so far of the summer (temps in the mid to upper 90s in Michigan). I kept exercise/work sessions a little shorter and didn't let them play hard in the middle of the day. They handled it all very well

[Liz P]

I think one of my dogs has not had a batch in almost 3 years. Sure, she has been hosed off if she got mucky, but I don't think shampoo has come in contact with her body in years. She doesn't stink, if you're curious. My other dogs have not had a bath in more that a year, that I can remember anyway.

 

Hey, maybe you can answer this question since you are a groomer. Why in the world are people shaving Labs? They have short fur already!

[waffles]

A spa day for my boy would be the same-rolling in some deer poop then rinsing it all in the muddy creek!

 

I brush my dog with a rake and furminator (I can't imagine someone using it to the point of drawing blood and if you don't overuse it, it won't ruin their coats). He gets a bath (hose in summer, bathtub in winter) whenever he is really smelly, rolled in something I can't get out with Dawn and a dishtowel or is just looking too dingy.

 

I never advocate people shaving double coated dogs. Like Maralynn said, it protects and insulates them in the winter and summer. If you are going to shave anything, shave the chest and belly. A lot of people equate a dogs fur coat as being the same as a person wearing a fur coat in summer; it just isn't the same for many reasons. Plus I feel people will shave their dog and then think it's okay to stick them in the sun all day or run them to death in the heat because they're shaved.

 

The dogs I feel really bad for in the heat are the smoosh-faced dogs (brachycephalic breeds). Some can barely take a walk in the shade in the summer without suffering.

[waffles]

 

Hey, maybe you can answer this question since you are a groomer. Why in the world are people shaving Labs? They have short fur already!

 

I'm not a groomer but people do it for the same reason they shave long coated dogs-they think it makes them shed less. I hear that all the time, it makes no logical sense. It just makes them shed shorter hair but no one wants to hear that when you tell them .

[terrecar]

I take a pin brush to Hannah rather than a slicker so as not to pull out too much coat. I never cared for stripping the rough coated breeds, other than a sanitary clip and some thinning of the britches. Cooling down is easy here; we have plenty of water and shade. I do hose Hannah down after she's been in the Chesapeake because she smells like dead fish and has sand in her coat, but I bathe her infrequently at a self-serve dog wash.

 

 

 

 

ETA: When I say "stripping" in this context I of course mean "shaving down", not "stripping" as in terrier stripping.

[gcv-border]

I would consider my BC a medium-coated dog. He is not a smoothie, but he is not one of the ACK heavy-coated dogs. He is just right, except for the fact that his tail and mudflaps are really long, but not super dense. Individual hairs will be 10-12 or more inches long in the tail and mudflap area. I infrequently bathe him with shampoo - maybe 1-2 times per year. Where I do go crazy is when I trim the tail and britch area. I will hack off 4-8 inches at a time. (And when I am finished, you can tell that I am not a groomer.) This also makes it easier to comb/brush that area.

 

So no, I am not a client of a groomer, preferring instead to take minimal care of the wash-and-wear coat. If I had a denser dog, I would consider taking them to a groomer once in a while since grooming is one of my least favorite activities.

 

Jovi

[rushdoggie]

I think one of my dogs has not had a batch in almost 3 years. Sure, she has been hosed off if she got mucky, but I don't think shampoo has come in contact with her body in years. She doesn't stink, if you're curious.

 

I was told by a poster on a blog this week (who said that her standard poodle was better cared for than most other dogs because of the extreme amount of grooming he required) that it was impossible that my dog didn't smell because I only bathe him twice a year. She told me my sense of smell must be defective and that I used it as an excuse to be lazy and not care for my dog.

 

[JohnLloydJones]

I think one of my dogs has not had a batch in almost 3 years. Sure, she has been hosed off if she got mucky, but I don't think shampoo has come in contact with her body in years. She doesn't stink, if you're curious. My other dogs have not had a bath in more that a year, that I can remember anyway.

Living in Arizona low desert, my dogs need their fur as protection from the sun. With temps up to and over 110F, shaving would make matters worse. Of course, we avoid going out midday, but even at 6:00 pm, it's still mighty hot.

 

Oh and shampoo, we have a bottle, but it doesn't get much use. It's 5 years since the last time my wife attempted to use it on Senneca. By chance, I met someone who adopted one of my fosters, this morning. He asked what I used to groom the dog, because his fur was so soft and good smelling. All he ever got was a good hosing down, as required, and an occasional grooming with an under coat rake to keep his fur tidy.

[nancy]

Granted that Fergie was a smooth-coated border collie - and reputedly a lab mix.

 

But she got washed only if she rolled in something that was so foul the we couldn't allow her indoors. And then, we washed only the area withe the yucky stuff.

 

In her 15+ years, that meant about 5 washings.

 

She could go through goopy, stinky, ugly stuff on a walk. And get home (this is about a 1-mile walk) clean and sweet smelling. I thought this was a border collie feature. You mean it isn't!

 

Because we noticed that most of her actual skin was pink, there's no way we would have had her shaved. How would we have gotten sun screen down there onto the pink parts? He fur did a perfect job. We jsut limited her time out on walks in the middle of the day.

[D'Elle]

I was told by a poster on a blog this week (who said that her standard poodle was better cared for than most other dogs because of the extreme amount of grooming he required) that it was impossible that my dog didn't smell because I only bathe him twice a year. She told me my sense of smell must be defective and that I used it as an excuse to be lazy and not care for my dog.

 

 

Rushdoggie, that is pretty funny.

That person was full of it.

 

And, by the way, a standard poodle does not necessarily require an extreme amount of grooming, either. A good friend of mine has a standard poodle who is so handsome he literally draws a crowd of admirers wherever they go. She said it is like dating a rock star. He's not in some silly show clip, of course, but he always looks fantastic, so I asked her how often she grooms him and she said she simply gives him a nice brushing 1 or 2 times a week and clips him herself every two to three months. Pretty easy care.

 

As for my dogs, they only get bathed with shampoo when it is necessary, and hosed off frequently in the summer just to cool them down. Everyone tells me that they smell just fine.

D'Elle

[Kelleybean]

I shave my Golden Retriever every summer because her fur matts horribly. I don't shave my BC--she's pretty easy to brush out. (Also, we'd be laughed off the agility course!) We only shampoo when they find something divine to roll in. Their idea of a spa day would involve mud baths for sure, and maybe a soak in some nice rancid creek water.

[teganandjessmom23]

I love the spa day being rolling in something and being in the creek that is how mine would rather be. As far as shaving a lab it is stupid. I hate doing it yes they shed less for a few months but they still shed. People don't realize if they actually comb out their dogs that the coat does insulate from the heat and also that they won't sunburn. People are stupid but I do my job with a smile. There are some dogs I have flat out refused to shave. I pretty much won't shave an outdoor dog. Border collies are as spoiled as poodles so that person needs to learn a few things. I see more poodles in bad shape than borders. Thanks for the responses I love hearing how other people keep their dogs in shape. Honestly if I was not a groomer I would prob give them a bath a few times a year and comb the out 1 a month. that is what my lab gets. My lab does not get shaved she is outdoors all the time and enjoys her life.

[beachdogz]

I read the title and the first thing that popped into my mind was that my dogs idea of a spa day would be rolling in something stinky followed by a dip in the river (or swamp, or mud puddle...) :lol:

 

I loved this comment!!!

 

When I read the title....I thought it was going to be a fundraiser for a rescue where you pay a donation fee and you get a manicure and facial (or hair style) while someone does your dog's coat and nails!!! Actually, that may not be a bad idea for a fundraiser!

[simba]

I was told by a poster on a blog this week (who said that her standard poodle was better cared for than most other dogs because of the extreme amount of grooming he required) that it was impossible that my dog didn't smell because I only bathe him twice a year. She told me my sense of smell must be defective and that I used it as an excuse to be lazy and not care for my dog.

 

 

I've only ever got hatemail (the 'green ink' letter in email version) once. I said (in response to a question) that even white dogs just usually need to be brushed, and washed only when they get muddy or roll in something. I got an email saying that I 'probably lick your dogs anus hole clean' you 'nasty frak.' Actually, it was a series of emails.

 

I was told by someone else that it was just that I'd got used to the stink, and this was horrible abuse, because dogs should be washed two to three times a month.

 

So- provocative posts on religion, politics, history, relationships are all fine. But dog washing is apparently a touchy subject.

 

The little terrier was run over by a car yesterday, anyone have any suggestions on how soon I should wash her? She's fine, but bruised and shaken, and I'm not sure about bathing her right away when she hates it and it will involve being picked up. The tire marks look a little alarming, that's all.

[Liz P]

I generally get the comment from people that my dogs do not have a "doggy odor," and I agree with their assessment. This is despite very rarely getting a bath. A good coat (genetic) and balanced diet do wonders to keep a dog shiny and clean.

[terrecar]

I think sometimes "doggy odor" is actually coming from bad teeth or dirty ears (the latter particularly in the drop-eared breeds). Having said that, I can attest to the ability of a dog to pick up some "interesting" fragrances on their coats from running through dead fish and seaweed.

[alligande]

Having been the loving owner of a very smelly dog, she had a GSD short coat with beagle features, especially as she got older she needed frequent baths just to be able to share a house with her. I am still amazed by my rough coated border collies, they never smell, and the white bits always come back to white. We were out in public yesterday and a number of people asked me how I kept them white.

 

They might get washed a couple of times of year, normally because GI distress, they get brushed occasionally, feet trimmed if they look like yetties and that is about it. They do swim often from April to November which I am sure helps. I have not been to a groomer in years.

[Liz P]

I think sometimes "doggy odor" is actually coming from bad teeth or dirty ears (the latter particularly in the drop-eared breeds).

 

Those have their own unique stinky smells. Trust me, I get up close and personal with them every day at work! When I say doggy odor I am talking about that smell that comes off the dog's actual body. You know when you pet a dog and you want to immediately wash your hands because of the foul smelling residue? I notice it most with hunting breed dogs like Labs, Goldens, Bassets, Beagles, etc.

[terrecar]

Those have their own unique stinky smells. Trust me, I get up close and personal with them every day at work! When I say doggy odor I am talking about that smell that comes off the dog's actual body. You know when you pet a dog and you want to immediately wash your hands because of the foul smelling residue? I notice it most with hunting breed dogs like Labs, Goldens, Bassets, Beagles, etc.

 

 

I have had a couple of Dachshunds that, as they got older, needed more frequent bathing. Their coats seemed to become more oily as they aged. Hannah really doesn't have a doggy odor. Even after being on the shore of the bay (and it is the shore that holds the dreaded smells, not the actual water), hosing her off does the trick.

[Liz P]

PS, if you don't like stinky dogs, never, ever get a black Cocker Spaniel.

[ChantalB]

Hmm . My BC is not a smoothie, but just not. He grows a little thick fur, nothing long. I've shaved him since his second summer and I always will. He 100% does better once he's shaved, he is very heat intollerant here in Ontario (coming from cold nfld!) and he loves the shaving. I tried putting it off longer this year but he was getting really slow and doing the "I hate heAt" stuff. Shaved him then I also noticed a large perk in activity energy and heat tolerance once the winter coat comes off, and with every subsequent shave. No sunburn yet!

 

I don't quite understand the double coat thingy, can someone explain it to me? Do both smooths and roughs have them?

[terrecar]

Double coated dogs have a softer, somewhat dense coat under an outer coat of "guard hairs" or longer, courser hairs. German Shepherds have a thick undercoat, and if they are not brushed--or when they are blowing coat--you can see tufts on their flanks and sides which is undercoat shedding and coming through. You can even pull the tufts out with your thumb and forefinger. No idea if a smooth Border Collie has an undercoat since I've never actually seen one up close and personal. Someone else here will know. But I have noted that both the Rough and Smooth Collies have undercoat, so if I had to guess I'd say smooth Border Collies do as well.

[Maralynn]

Yup - smoothies have undercoat too. I think smooth coated Kipp grows more undercoat in the winter than rough coated Kenzi does

[SS Cressa]

Both of my border collies go to a friend who grooms them normally twice a year. They get their undercoat stripped. I like how easy it is to clean my dogs of burra when it gone and they dont seem as hot. That and their nails done and feet /ears are trimmed to look neat/smooth.